Multi-Platinum singer-songwriter Lauren Alaina will release her third full-length album, Sitting Pretty On Top of the World, on Friday, Sept. 3 through Mercury Records Nashville. The new project comes on the heels of her two critically-acclaimed 2020 EPs, Getting Good and Getting Over Him. Ahead of the album’s release, the lead single, “It Was Me,” is available everywhere now.

Alongside award-winning songwriters Liz Rose, Lori McKenna, Hillary Lindsey, Emily Weisband, David Garcia, Ben Johnson, and more, Alaina co-wrote 14 of the 15 songs on Sitting Pretty On Top of the World, which was produced by Paul DiGiovanni and Garcia (on “Getting Good”).

The project includes the two Getting Over Him EP duets–“What Do You Think Of?” with Lukas Graham and her current radio single, “Getting Over Him” featuring Jon Pardi. The Georgia native also reached out to her friend and mentor Trisha Yearwood to remix her recently Gold-certified single, “Getting Good,” to include as a duet on the new album.

Of the album Alaina says, “It’s about a dreamer becoming an achiever. It’s being broken and ending up healed. It’s all of me. The early chapters. The new beginnings. The hope for the future and total appreciation for the past. Taking the Road Less Traveled and ending up Sitting Pretty On Top Of The World.”

Sitting Pretty On Top of the World Track Listing:
1. It Was Me – Lauren Alaina, Hillary Lindsey
2. If The World Was A Small Town – Lauren Alaina, David Garcia, Josh Miller
3. Getting Good (featuring Trisha Yearwood) – Emily Weisband
4. Same Story, Different Saturday Night – Lauren Alaina, Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, Liz Rose
5. On Top Of The World – Lauren Alaina, Jordan Reynolds, Sasha Sloan
6. Run – Lauren Alaina, Ben Johnson, Kennedi Lykken
7. What Do You Think of? (duet w Lukas Graham) – Lauren Alaina, Jens Carlsson, Asia Whiteacre
8. I’m Not Sad Anymore – Lauren Alaina, Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, Liz Rose
9. Getting Over Him (duet w Jon Pardi) – Lauren Alaina, Paul DiGiovanni, Emily Weisband
10. Good Ole Boy – Lauren Alaina, David Garcia, Josh Miller
11. When The Party’s Over – Lauren Alaina, David Garcia, Corey Crowder
12. You Ain’t A Cowboy – Lauren Alaina, Casey Brown, Parker Welling
13. Goodbye Street – Lauren Alaina, Jacob Durrett, Ernest K. Smith
14. Written In The Bar – Lauren Alaina, Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, Liz Rose
15. Change My Mind – Lauren Alaina, Cameron Bedell, Seth Ennis

CRS will be hosting Part II of the two-part CRS360 webinar series, Post-Covid Re-entry, examining new best practices for how employees readjust and what potential challenges may be faced when re-entering the workplace. Post-Covid Re-entry Part II: How To Shake Off Workplace Cobwebs and Leave Anxiety In The Dust will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 4 at 1 p.m. CT. To register, click here.

After more than 18 months of remote work, many employers have started to open offices, while many workers may have mixed feelings. This webinar will take a closer look at why workers feel the reluctance to return in-office and ways to make the transition easier. The webinar will feature New York Times best-selling author and clinical psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Susan Albers, and CRS Executive Director RJ Curtis as moderator.

Dr. Albers is the author of seven mindful eating books, including EatQ, 50 Ways to Soothe Yourself Without Food, and Eating Mindfully. She has been a guest on the Dr. Oz TV Show, TODAY show, and NPR, and her books and tips have been featured in Shape, Prevention Magazine, Self, Health, Shape, New York Times, and Fitness Magazine.

“Our friends in the music and radio biz are coming back to workplace dynamics that are likely much different than pre-pandemic quarantine,” Curtis shares. “This return means change, upheaval, and with that, anxiety. Dr. Susan Albers is a psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic and a New York Times best-selling author, who will share insights and tools to help our industry colleagues prepare, transition, and succeed in their ‘new normal.’”

Last month’s event, Re-entering the Post-COVID Workplace Part I: Emotional IQ for Employers/Managers, provided valuable insight to leaders and helping them use emotional intelligence, compassion, and communication to support employees in navigating the transition to a new environment of work post-COVID. To watch a playback of the webinar, click here.

Ricky Skaggs has added new Kentucky Thunder band members Mike Rogers on tenor vocals and rhythm guitar and Billy Contreras on fiddle. The news comes as Paul Brewster retires from the band, and Mike Barnett recovers from a brain aneurysm sustained in 2020.

Rogers is a vocalist and a multi-instrumentalist who plays drums, acoustic guitar, banjo, and steel guitar. Throughout his career he has performed as a band member for Kevin Denney, Craig Morgan, and Doyle Lawson and is also a songwriter and producer, having penned songs for Morgan, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, The Lonesome River Band and Jimmy Fortune, and produced Fortune’s album, Lessons.

Contreras is a fiddler as well as an educator, session player, arranger, and producer. He has performed and/or recorded with a host of talent including Lionel Hampton, George Jones, Doc Severinsen, Hank Thompson, Hank Jones, Crystal Gayle, Grady Tate, Charlie Louvin, Al Grey, Ray Price, and more along with teaching at Belmont University.

American Public Television’s Front And Center TV show is premiering its tenth season nationwide, beginning Aug. 1 on public stations across the country with eight concerts from artists including Lady A, Old Dominion, Glen Campbell, Dustin Lynch, Brantley Gilbert, Maddie & Tae, John Hiatt with Jerry Douglas and special guest Tommy Emmanuel, and New Age vocalist Sangeeta Kaur.

In a slight departure from the series’ usual format, Season 10 launches with an archival concert by Campbell, recorded in August 2008 at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. Other exclusive performances this season are from Analog at Hutton Hotel in Nashville, with episodes filmed both pre-pandemic and under COVID safety protocols.

For the last decade, Front And Center has showcased an eclectic variety of musicians, from industry veterans to emerging artists, in an intimate setting that uniquely connects an artist to their fans. Artists play their defining hits and introduce new work in a dynamic hour of music and banter about life on the road, songwriting influences and the hard work and heartbreak that come before becoming a star.

Front And Center Season 10 Schedule:
August 1 – Glen Campbell
August 8 – Dustin Lynch
August 15 – Brantley Gilbert
August 22 – Old Dominion
August 29 – Lady A
September 5 – Maddie & Tae
September 12 – John Hiatt with Jerry Douglas and special guest Tommy Emmanuel
September 19 – Sangeeta Kaur with special guests Jon Anderson and Jake Shimabukuro

Cole Swindell Commemorates 10th Career No. 1 With ‘Single Saturday Night’

Cole Swindell celebrated his 10th career No. 1 single, “Single Saturday Night,” on Monday night (July 26) after his surprise performance at Whiskey Jam in Nashville. “Single Saturday Night” was written by Ashley Gorley, Michael Hardy, and Mark Holman, and produced by Michael Carter.

The Grammy-nominated multi-Platinum country artist’s single has been streamed globally over 180 million times and adds to his over 4 billion career streams. Swindell was also recognized for having reached over 15 million in total US track equivalents.

The Georgia native is on the road again headlining shows on the West Coast over the next two weeks. Swindell will take the stage before Thomas Rhett on the Center Point Road Tour which kicks off Aug. 20 in Bangor, Maine.

 

 

Missing Piece Group Ups Three Senior Staff Members

Missing Piece Group has promoted Brett Loeb to Label Manager of Missing Piece Records, Michelle Steele to Director of Publicity for Missing Piece Group’s Nashville branch, and Joe Sivick to General Manager of Missing Piece Group.

“In the 11 years that Missing Piece has been in business, much of our staff has come on board very early in their careers, gathering knowledge and becoming experts in their field, while supporting and training younger team members. That supportive environment has helped foster their personal growth and led to these promotions,” says Missing Piece Group CEO/Founder Michael Krumper.

Loeb, who joined the team in 2014, has seen the label side of Missing Piece become an increasing focus. Over the years, he has led much of the operations, marketing, and project management for label releases under Missing Piece Group. In this new role, Loeb will oversee the growth of the label division, directing all aspects of campaigns for Missing Piece Records while also continuing to work with publicity and marketing clients.

Steele, a Nashville native, has spent her career as a publicist. In her new role, she will represent Missing Piece Group in the Nashville area as they continue to grow in Music City and expand their presence in town.

Sivick has been with the company nearly since its inception, this year marking his ninth year at Missing Piece Group. In his new role, he will help steer Missing Piece Group as it continues to expand and will continue to stay involved with all aspects of the company’s publicity campaigns.

 

 

Songs For Sound Unveils New Care Team, Encourages Continued Support From Partners

Nashville-based 501(c)3 Songs for Sound will launch their newly developed Care Team to help with educating, encouraging audiology, booking appointments, prepping patients for appointments, and caring for them for life. The Care Team will work alongside the non-profit’s many service-based programs, which includes The Hear the Music Project and Tour and their Hearoes Tour for Veterans.

Songs for Sound founder Jaime Vernon and Director of Partnerships & Audiological Advancement Miranda Weidle recently requested continued support from hearing technology industry partners. To-date, those partners have helped Songs for Sound serve over 27,000 people as they work towards their goal of serving 250,000 people by 2025.

“This announcement comes at a time when the hearing technology industry is extremely competitive and is collectively challenging the narrative by finding new ways to better serve Americans with better technology and improved customer service,” Vernon said in a letter to partners. “In the spirit of competition, we want to continue supporting capitalism by giving consumers the right to choose the best audiologist, best technology and for them to know how affordable it already is.”

Songs for Sound was born out of Vernon’s passion to help others bridge the gap between thinking you have hearing loss to connecting people with the right services to get the help they need. To learn more about Songs for Sound’s mission, click here.